Car-door-locking device



Dec. 3, 1929. B. w. KADEL 1,738,057

CAR DOOR LOCKING DEVICE Filed March 14, 1923 2 $heets-Sheet l Dec. 3, 1929. B. w. KADEL 1,738,057

CAR DOOR LOCKING DEVICE Filed March 14, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. m2

75;, A TTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 3, 1929 BYERS W. KADEL, F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND PATENT;

OFFICE oAnmoon-Loomne nnvrcn Application filed March 14, 1923. Serial No. 624,998.

This invention relates to car door locking devices, and has for its primary object to provide simple, rugged and compact mechanism for maintaining the door in closed position and for efliciently fortifying said door and cooperating parts of the car against the strains incident to service.

A further ob'ect of the invention to provide means or enabling the door to be m readily forced to closed position.

A principal feature of the invention, generally stated, consists in combining with a swinging car door having an outstanding marginal flange, a door'supporting mechanism comprising a latch movably mounted upon the door and means mounted-on a stationary part of the car-for cooperating with said latch to maintain the door in closed position, the said latch being arrangedto 2n overlie the said flange of the door and adapted to engage the edge of said flange when the pressure of theload within the car tends to force the door open.'

A further feature of the invention consists in the combination with the side sheet ofla railway car having an edge defining a portion of a discharge opening in the car, of a swinging door adapted to close said discharge opening, and means for supporting said door in 3;) closed position, said door having a marginal flange extending-parallel with and inside of the said edge of the side sheet, and said means for supporting the door involving a latch movably mounted upon the door, and a latch engaging member mounted upon said side sheet and extendin beyond the said edge thereof and being ofiset around said edge of the side sheet so as to approach theplane of fully closed position, said bracket having means constituting a seat or fulcrum enabling a lever to be used for moving the door from partially closed position to fully closed position.

Other features of the invention, residing in particular combinations and arrangements of parts and in advantageous details of construction of the elements of the mechanism, will hereinafter ap ear and be particularly pointed out iii the c aims.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims,-

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of a railway car illustrating the invention, the hinged door bein shown as sustained in a partially closed posltion.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line A--A, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and illustrating the use of a removable prying bar for fully closed position.

Figure 3 is a detail elevational view of the construction, looking in the direction of the arrows B-B, Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Fi ure 5 is a detail sectional view on the line --A, Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows, the relation of a removable prying bar for closing the door being also shown.

Figure 6 is a detail elevational view looking in the directionv of the arrows 13-13,

Fig. 4. .4

a Figure 7- is a diagrammatic view showing the'relation of a pair of hopper doors and a spreader member formaintaining the same in spaced relation.

While, as shown in the drawings, the feaforcing the door to ings disposed transversely of the car on pposite sides of the car center sill and the doors for adjacent hoppers are connected by a spreader or stiifener'beam so as to swing as one. In the drawings 1 indicates the portion of a side sheet of a car at the lower end of a hopper, and 2 is the swinging door by which the discharge opening of the hopper is closed, the said door being mounted upon the car body by means of suitable hinges 3. The side sheet 1 of the hopper, which may be inclined as shown, is preferably provided with an offset portion or flange 4 whose lower edge of the car, such offsetting of the side sheet affording a seat 5 for the swinging door. Similarly the sloping bottom sheet 6 of the hopper may likewise be formed with an offset flange 7 bounding a portion of the discharge opening, the offsetting of this portion of the bottom sheet 6 thus affording a seat 8 for the door 2 extending parallel to the axis of swinging movement of the door.

The door 2 by which the discharge opening of the hopper is closed may advantageously be provided not only with an outstanding marginal flange 9 at the edge of the-door parallel to the offset portion 4 of the side sheet 1, but also with an outstanding marginal flange 10 bordering the'lower edge of the door in parallel relation to the flange 7 at the lower end of the bottom sheet of the hopper. When the door is closed the flanges 9 and 10 thereof lie inside of the respectively corresponding flanges 4 and The doors of each pair may be connected in spaced relationby a door spreader member-11 which is rigidly secured to said doors and preferably is a flanged section, the channel iron shown being a desirable form. The spreader 11 is of somewhat less length than the width of the car body and terminates within'the limits of the doors.

Movably mounted upon each door 2 is a latch 12 which bycooperating with a bracket affixed to a stationary part of the car, serves to support the door in closed position. The latch 12 may be conveniently mounted upon the door 2 by means of a housing casting 13 having plate-like portions 14: and 15, respectively, between which said latch extends and to which it is pivotally connected by means of the rivet 16. Between the confining plates Y 14 and 15 of the housing 13 is preferably also located a revoluble locking cam 17 pivotally mounted upon a rivet 18. When this look ing' cam is driven down against the latch 12, as shown in Fig. 3, the latter isprevented from'moving to a position permitting acci- 50 "dental release of the door. As shown in the drawings, the cams 17 for each door preferably rotate in opposite directions to secure the respective latches 12 against accidentally ereciiting an unlocking movement; and it is also toibenoted that the cams are preferably defines a portion of the discharge opening arranged so that downward movement of the portions thereof adjacent the edges of the door'produces a locking rotation of the cams.

This is very advantageous in that any acci dental blow which the cams are apt to receive from outside objects tends to force them more tightly to locked position. The latches 12 when locked in position by their respective cams 17 in effect become rigid extensions of the door stiffener beam 11, thus supporting the door against sagging on its pintles, which latter are often badly worn. The housing member 13 may be conveniently secured to the door spreader 11 by means of rivets 19.

WVhere it passes beneath the lower edge of the flange 9 the latch is preferably thickened or formed with a lug or projection 20 for seating against the lower edge of said door flange 9 when the pressure of the load within the hopper tends to force the door open. The outer end of the movable latch member 12 is formed with an offset portion or projection 21 which, by interlocking with a portion of the latch engaging bracket 22 carried by the car body, serves to arrest creepage of said bracket along the latch toward the outer end of the latter, thus transferring bulging strains of the side sheets 1 to the latches 12 and thence through their pivots 16 and housings 13 to the spreader member 11. It will thus be seen that when the doors are supported in closed position and the cams have been rotated into locking engagement with the latch, the spreader and latches, which have been made rigid therewith, function as a cross-tie to prevent spreading of the hoppers.

The door supporting member carried by the car side for cooperating with the latch 12 to support the door is preferably constructed as a bracket 22 rigidly secured to the side sheet 1 by means of rivets 28. This bracket projects beyond the edge of the side sheet and beyond said edge is preferably provided with a plurality of spaced shoulders, abutments or ledges 24 and 25, respectively, either of which is adapted to engage the latch 12 to prevent an opening movement of the door. The ledge 24 is designed to cooperate with the latch to maintain the door 2 in fully closed position, while the ledge 25 coperates with the latch for supporting the door in partially closed position. The bracket 22 may advantageously be formed with a basal plate 26 which is oflset around the flange 4, as indicated at 27 and beyond the edge of the side sheet forms the shouldered projecting portion 28 for cooperating with the latch 12. The shouldered portion of the bracket 22 beyond the edge 1 of the flange of the side sheet 1 is preferably somewhat offset toward the marginal flange 9 of the door, as well shown in Fig. 2, thus decreasing the beam lengthof the latch 12 between the said flange 9 and the latch engag- 26 is preferably skewed so as to be disposed lit? at an acute angle to the portions of said plate which bear against the side sheet 1, thus enabling the portion of said plate which projects beyond the edge of the flange 4 to stand normal to the direction of length of the door spreader member 11 when the door is in closed position. The bracket 22 is preferably fash ioned with an outstanding wall or flange 29 which is upright with respect to the basal plate 26 and extends rearwardly from the latch engaging shoulder 24 to the rear end of the bracket, the portion thereof which conmeets the offset portions of said basal plate being preferably inclined or tapered in the form of a gusset, as indicated at 30. The bracket may also be provided witgmarginal strengthening ribs 31 which are a o upright to the basal flange 26 of the bracket and are enlarged adjacent the offset portion of the bracket to likewise form gussets.

its is well known to those skilled in the art, the drop bottom doors of freight cars may be easily lifted to a partly closed position, but to close them completely requires the application of much greater force. This is because the drop bottom doors of freight cars often become warped or distorted in service by reason of the heavy loads to which they are subjected. and also because the proportionate part of the weight of the door that .is borne by the hinge decreases as the door ap proaches its closed position. It is therefore desirable to afford means for readily'applying to the door sufficient force to move it to completely closed position, and the present invention provides a form of such means adapt ed for convenient and eflicient cooperation with the door supporting mechanism disclosed herein. To this end the bracket 22 is provided with an opening 32 adapted to receive a removable lever or prying bar 33 which, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, by being fulcru'med on the bracket 22, may be employed for readily forcing the door from a. partially closed position to fully closed position. By thus forming the fulcrum eye in the fixed hook member or by forming it in that one of the locking members which is fixed to the car body independently of the swinging door, it will be appreciated that the pressure or reaction of the pry bar on the fulcrum when the lever isbeing operated to force the door from a preliminary p0- sition to final position will not interfere with or resist the normal operation of the latch. In other words when force is applied to the pry bar the pivoted latch is free at all times to drop under the influence of gravlty'into door supporting position. If, in the door closing operation, it should be impossible to cause either outer edge of the connected doors to assume fully closedposition without the aid of a mechanical advantage, the operator may first pry the door shut on one side of the car and lock the same and then subse uently pry and lock the opposite side of the oor in fully closed position. Furthermore it will be appreciated that by forming the prying eye in the fixed hook, not only is safety assured in the prying operation, but the fulcrum is located at a most convenient point, particularly when it is necessary for the operator to stand at a lower elevation than the track or cross-ties as frequently occurs at dumping trestles. Furthermore the location of the prying eye is particularly advantageous due to the proximity of the fulcrum to the edge of the door. While the inner end of the prying lever may seat against the door plate as in Figure 5 it is preferred to have it cooperate with the door spreader or beam.

Since the hook occupies the position from which it is most desirable to pry the door closed and since the rivets employed for securing the hook to the car body are of sufficient strength to afford adequate resistance for the pry bar when the door is being forced to fully closed position the necessity of a separate fulcrum member is eliminated.

Inthe modified construction illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and '6, the pivotally mounted latch instead of being spaced from the plane of the door by the interposition of the door spreader 11, is formed as a member 12 which is-ofiset intermediate of its length so as to project around and beyond the marginal flange 9 of the door. This latch 12 is pivotally mounted upon the door by means of a rivet 34 which also passes through said door and through a housing plate 35 overlying the outer face of the latch. Between the plate 35 and the door a rotatable locking cam 17 is pivotally secured in position by means of a rivet 36 which, together with the rivet 34 forming a pivot for the latch 12 and the rivet 37 ,provides means for rigidly securing the said plate to the door. The rotatable locking cam 17 serves to lock the latch 12 in door supporting position, as heretofore described in respect to the mechanism shown in Figs. 1. 2 and 3.

The shouldered bracket 22 which is rig-- idly attached to the side sheet 1 for cooperac tion with the pivoted latch 12 is generally similar to the bracket 22 heretofore described, differing therefrom, however, in that the shouldered projecting portion 28 of the basal plate is not turned at. an acute angle to the remaining portions of said plate but retains the same slope or inclination as the side sheet of the car against which the bracket 22 is secured. Except for the differences of construction hereinbefore described the details ofv the mechanism illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 correspond in form and function to similar details of construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and accordingly corresponding reference numerals have been applied to the modifiedform of construction.

It will be appreciated by those familiar with devices of this character that the invention may be embodied in mechanism differing in details from those illustrated in the drawings.

I claim l 1. In mechanism of the character indicated, the Combination with a door hinged to the car body and provided with an outstanding reinforcing flange, of a latch movably mounted on said door and projecting outwardly beyond a side edge thereof and adapted to bear upon the edge of said reinforcing flange, said latch being movable in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the door, and means carried by a stationary part of the car for cooperating with said latch to prevent an opening movement of said door.

2. In mechanism of the character indicat-' ed, the combination with a door hinged to the car body andprovided with an outstanding marginal flange, of a rigid latch pivotally mounted upon said door and overlying said flange and adapted to bear upon the edge of the latter, the pivotal axis of said latch being substantially normal to the plane of the door, and a shouldered bracket rigidly secured to a stationary part of the .car for cooperating with said latch to retain said door in closed position.

3. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a side sheet of a railway car, said sheet having an edge defining a portion of the discharge opening in the car, of a door adapted to close said discharge opening, said door having an outstanding marginal flange which is adapted to stand parallel to and inside of the said edge of the side sheet when the door is in closed position, and a door supporting member carried by said side sheet and having a portion projecting beyond said edge of said sheet, said door supporting member being offset around said edge toward said flange of the door.

4. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a door hinged to the car body and adapted toclose a discharge opening in said car,of means for supporting said door in closed position, said means involving a'plurality of members adapted to engage each other, one'of said members being movablymounted upon said door and projecting beyond an edge thereof, and the other of said members being rigidly secured to a stationary part of the car and projecting beyond said discharge opening, the said member secured to the stationary part of the car being formed with a plate portion having parts thereof lying in planes at an acute angle to each other, the plane of one of said parts being substantially normal to the hinge axis of ,t e door.

5. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with the side sheet of a railway car, said side sheet being inclined and having an edge thereof defining a portion of a discharge opening in the car, of a door hinged to the car body and adapted to close said discharge opening, and means for supporting said door in closed position, said means involving a plurality of members adapted to engage each other, one of said members being mounted upon said door and projecting beyond an edge thereof and the other of said members being mounted upon said side sheet and having a portion which overlaps and is parallel to the plane of said sheet and a portion projecting beyond said edge thereof for cooperation with the projecting portion of the member mounted upon said door, the projecting portion of the member which is mounted upon the side sheet being in a plane substantially normal to the hinge axis of the door.

6. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a door hinged to the car body, of a stiffening beam secured to the outer face of said door and terminating near an edge thereof, a housing member aflixed to the end of said stiffening beam, a latch pivotally connected to said housing member and extending lengthwise of said stiffening beam and projecting beyond the edge of said door, movable means adapted to engage said latch to prevent rotation of the latter, and a bracket carried by the car side, said bracket being provided with a plurality of shoulders adapted to cooperate with said latch to support said door in a plurality of positions.

7. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a door hinged to the car body, of a stiflening beam secured to the outer face of said door and terminating adjacent an edge thereof, a housing aflixed to said beam, a latch pivotally connected to said housing and extending in the direction of length of said stiffening beam and projecting .beyond the edge of the door, a rotatable cam for preventing pivotal movement of said latch with respect to said beam, and a bracket carried by the car side and extending beyond an edge thereof adjacent said door, the said bracket having a portion adapted to cooperate with said latch to support said door against opening movement, and said latch being provided at its outer end with an offset portion adapted to interlock with a portion of said bracket to limit movement of the latter in the direction of length of said latch.

8. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a door hinged to the car body and provided with an outstanding marginal flange, of a latch pivotally mounted upon said door and extending beyond said flange and adapted to bear upon the edge of the latter,a stiffening beam affixed to said door and interposed between the latter and said latch, movable means for engaging said latch to prevent pivotal movement of the latter with respect to said beam, and a bracket mounted upon the car side and having a porlll tion adapted to cooperate with said latch to maintain said door in closed position. a

9. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a swingingly mounted car door, of means for preventing said door from executing an opening swinging movement, said means involving a bracket afiixed to a stationary part of the car adjacent an edge of a discharge opening in the car, and a latch pivotally mounted upon said door for cooperating with said bracket, said bracket being provided with a plurality of spaced shoulders either of which is adapted to be en-,

gaged by said latch to prevent opening movement of said door, and said bracket also being provided with means forming a fulcrum ,for a removable lever adapted to cooperate with said door to force the latter from a position in which the latch thereof engages the outermost shoulder of the bracket to a fully closed position. i v

10. In mechanism :of the, character indicated, the combination with a swingingly mounted car door, of a bracket afiixed to the carsideand projecting beyond an edge of the opening in said car closed by said door, and a latch member movably mounted on said door, said bracket being provided with a plurality of shoulders with one of which said latch member is adapted to engage to support said door in partially closed position and with the other of which said latch member is adapted to engage to support the door in fully closed position, and said bracket being rovided with means disposed below said s oulders forming a fulcrum for a removable lever adapted to coo erate with said door for forc ing the latter rom partially closed position to fully closed position. v

11. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a car hopper having a lading discharge opening, the edgeof the hopper side sheet'ad acent the discharge opening being provided with an outwardly projecting port1on,of a swingingly mounted car door for closing the discharge opening,

' a bracket secured to the side sheet compris ng with the latch to retain position.-

- 12. In mechanism of the character indi cated, the combination with a car hopper-having a lading discharge pening, the edgeof the hopper side sheet adjacent the-discharge opening being provided with an outwardly projecting portion, of a swingingly mounted door for closing the discharge opening, a door supporting bracket secured to said side sheet, comprising a singlelplate having laterally offset portions one of which engages and is secured to said side sheet to the rear of the outwardly projecting portion thereof and the other of which overlies the said outwardly projecting portion and extends beyond the lading discharge opening, the outer faces of said bracket being provided with continuous marginal flanges outstanding from and connectmg the said offset portions thereof, said flanges being enlarged opposite sa1d offset to form gussets, and means carried by the door for cooperating with the bracket to retain the door in closed position.

13. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a car hopper having a lading discharge opening, the edge of the hopper side sheet adjacent the discharge opening being provided with an outwardly pro ecting portion, of a swingingly mounted door for closing said opening, the said outwardly projecting portion affording an abutment for the door, a bracket afiixed to the outer face-of said side sheet comprising a continuous plate which projects beyond the lad ing discharge opening and is ofiset intermediate its ends to conform substantially to the contour of said side sheet, the outwar ly projecting portion of said bracket being provided with a shoulder, and meanscarried by the door adapted to engage said shoulder for retaining the door in closed position, the bracket being provided with an outstanding wall extending rearwardly from adjacent the lower edge of said shoulder, the said wall opposite the ofl'set in the bracket being in the I form of a gusset. o

14. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a pair of doors hinged to the car body, of a door spreader] secured to said doors for maintaining them in spaced relation said spreader being of slight- 1y less length til and terminating within the limits of said doors, housingsfmounted upon the respective ends" of said spreader,'latches respectively pivoted to-said housings andextending beyond the correspondingly ad'acent ends "or said spreader, a plurality o rotatable cams respectively adapted to prevent pivotal moves ment of said latches with respect to said door spreader, and shouldered brackets carriedby the car sides for respectively cooperating with said latches, each of said brackets having a plurality of shoulders either of which is.

adaptedto en go the adjacent latch for sup- --porting said oor.

15. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with apair of doorshinged to the car body, of a door spreader se- 1 caged to said doors for maintaining them in spaced relation, said spreader being of less length than the width of the car body and terminating within the limits of said doors,

an the width of the car body housin s carried by said spreader at the ends thereo latches respectively pivoted to said housings and extending beyond the correspondingly adjacent endsof said spreader, rotatable cams respectively cooperating wit-h said latches to prevent pivotal movement of the latter, and shouldered brackets carried by the car sides for respectively engaging the said latches to support said doors, said latches 10 being provided with projections which are adapted to cooperate with the respective brackets to constitute means for transmitting bulging strains of the car sides from said brackets through therespective latches and housings to said door spreader.

16. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a pair of sheet metal door lates hinged to the car body, of a door spread er secured to said doors for maintaining the same in spaced relation, said spreader being of less length than the width of the car body and terminating within the limits of said doors, housings carried by the ends of said spreader and secured thereto independently of the said door plates, latches pivotally connected to the respective houslngs, movable means for cooperating with said. latches to prevent pivotal movement of i the latter, and brackets carried by the car so sides for cooperating with the respective I latches to maintain said doors in closed position, said brackets having shoulders for engaging the corresponding latches, and the said latches forming beams respectively bridging the space between the ends ofthe said spreader and the said brackets.

17. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a pair of doors hinged to the car body, of a door spreader secured to said doors for maintaining them in spaced relation, said spreader being of less length than the width of the car body and terminating within the limits of said doors, housings carried by the-ends of said spreader, latches pivotally mounted within the respective housings and constituting'movable-,extensions of said spreader, and shouldered brackets carried by the car sides for cooperating ,with the respective latches to support said doors, the said housings being provided with means aflording support for the latches, and the'said doors being provided with marginal flanges the edges of which are adapted to engage the respectively adjacent latches.

18. In mechanism of the characterjindicated, the combination with 'a'car body having sloping side walls, of a pair of doors extending transversely of the car, a spreader attached to said doors for m'aintainingthem in spaced relation, brackets attached to the car sides and having shouldered portions respectively extending beyond the edges "of said sides Soasto stand substantially in alinement with the ends of said spreader when the doors 5 are closed, and latches pivotally mounted upon the respective ends of said spreader and adapted to cooperate with said shouldered brackets to support said door, the said brackets being respectively formed with plate portions conforming to the sloping side walls of the car to which they are respectively attached and the portions of said brackets which cooperate with said latches being in planes forming acute angles with said plate portions of the respective brackets and substantially normal to the direction of length of said spreader.

19. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a sheet metal door plate hinged to the car body, of a flanged stifl'ening beam secured to the outer face of said door and terminating near an edge thereof, a housing member rigidly secured to the end of said stiffening beam independently of the door plate, a latch pivotally connected to said housing member and extending lengthwise of said stiffening beam and projecting beyond the ed e of said door, means carried by said door or looking said latch against pivotal movement-with respect to said beam, and a bracket secured to the car and provided with a shoulder adapted to cooperate with said latch to support said door in closed position.

20. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a door hinged to the car body, of a flanged stiifening beam secured to the outer face of said door and terminating adjacent an edge thereof, a housing aflixed to said flanged beam, a latch pivotally connected to said housing and extending in the direction. of length of said beam and projecting beyond the edge of the door, a rotatable cam adapted to engage said latch to lock the latter against pivotal movement with respectto said beam, and a bracket carried by the car, the said bracket having a portion adapted to cooperate with said latch tosupport said door against opening movement, and said latch being provided at its outer end with an offset portion adapted to interlock with a portion of said bracket to limit movement of the latter in the of said latch.

21. In. mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a sheet metal door platehinged to the car body, of a flan ed stifiening beam extending along the free e ge of the door,'a'la'tch pivotally mounted upon the beam independently of the door and operable in a plane parallel with that of the door, movable means carried by the beam also independently of the door for locking said latch against pivotal movement, and a bracket mounted upon the car and having a portion adapted to cooperate with said latch to maintain'said door in closed position, said movable means causing the latches to'function as rigid extensions of said beam.

22- In mechanism of the character indidirection of length axis thereof, a latch pivotally mounted on said door and ext-ending beyond an edge of the latter in the direction of length of said door stiflener, a housing member secured to said stiffener and overlying the outer side of said latch,a rotatable cam ada ted to prevent pivotal movement of said late with respect to said door stiffener, and a shouldered bracket rigidly secured to the car for engaging said latch to prevent said door from executing an opening movement. said latch being provided with a projection adapted to cooperate with said bracket to constitute means for transmit ting bulging strains of the car body from said bracket through said latch and housing 2G to said door stiffener.

523. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a door hinged to the car body, of a flanged door stiflener secured to said door and extending along the free edge of the latter remote from the hinge axis, a latch pivotally mounted upon said door and adapted to extend beyond an edge of the latter in the direction of length of said door stiffener, a member having a flange secured to said flanged door stiffener and also I having a flange overlapping said latch and forming a support for the latter, rotatable means mounted upon the latch'overlapping flange of said member adapted to engage said latch to prevent pivotal movement of the latter with respect to said door and a bracket.

rigidily secured to the car for cooperating with said latch to maintain said door in closed position, said bracket having a shoulr0 der for engaging said latch, and said latch forming a beam bridging the space between the end of said door stiffener and the said bracket.

24. In a mechanism of the character india cated, the combination with a door hinged to the car body, of a stiffening beam secured to the outer ace of said door and extending across the same substantially parallel to the edge thereof'which is remote from the hinge 5 axis, a pivoted latch mounted upon said door in overlapping relation to said stiifening beam and forming a pivoted extension thereof projecting beyond the adjacent end of said beam and a neighboring edge of said door,

movable means independent of the door for rendering said latch rigid with respect to the stiffening beam and a bracket rigidly mounted upon the car and having a portion adapted to cooperate with said latch to support said an door against opening movement.

as of said door, a pivoted latch adapted to project beyond the edge of said door in the di-' rection of length of said flanged beam, means rigidily secured to the flanged beam for pivotally mounting said latch upon said door, said means involving a plurality of flanges disposed on opposite sides of said latch, a rotatable cam carried by said means adapted to prevent pivotal movement of said latch and a bracket having ashoulder adapted to cooperate with said latch to support said door against opening movement.

26. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a door plate hinged to the car body, of a flanged stiifening beam extending transversely of said door and secured to the outer face thereof, a pivoted latch carried by said door and adapted to extend lengthwise of said stiffening beam and to project beyond the adjacent end of said beam and a neighboring edge of said door, a bracket rigidly secured to the car for cooperating with said latch to support said door in closed position, a rotatable cam carried by said door adapted to prevent pivotal move-- cated, the combination with a door plate hinged to the car body, of a door stiffening member aflixed to the outer face of said door and extending from a point adjacent one side of the car to a point adjacent the other side of the car, brackets secured to the ends of said door stiffening member independently of the door plate, latches pivotally mounted on the respective brackets and extending outwardly beyond neighboring portions of the car sides, said latches being operable in planes substantially parallel to the plane of the door plate, shouldered brackets aflixed to the car sides in position to be engaged by the respective latches for supporting the door against an opening movement, and cams pivotally mounted on the respective brackets secured to the ends of said stiffening member, said cams being adapted to maintain the said latches in engagement with the shouldered brackets affixed to the carsides.

28. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a door hinged to the car body, of a stiffening beam aflixed to the outer face of said door and terminating adjacent an edge thereof, a housing member secured to said beam, a latch pivotally connected to said housing memberand extending in the direction of length of said stiffening beam and projecting beyond an edge of said door, a rotatable cam for preventing rotation of said latch, and a bracket carried by the car structure and extending beyond an edge thereof adjacent said door, the said bracket vhopper extending transversely of the car,

said hopper being defined by a longitudinally extending sloping hopper sheet, inner and outer side walls, and a swinging door extending on an axis transversely of the car; said outer wall sloping downwardly andulnwardly from the vertical towards the longitudinal 'center of the car; a lever pivotall ounted on the door and having an end ex nded beyond the sloping side wall; and a bracket secured to the sloping side wall, with the body portion thereof disposed substantially in parallelism with the said side wall, said bracket having a shoulder formed thereon with which the projecting end of the lever is adapted to engage, said shouldered portion being offset with respect to the main body portion of the'bracket to dispose it substantially tangent to the arc described by the lever at the initial movement of the bar.

30. In a door mechanism for railway cars,

' the combination with a car body having a lading discharge opening, ofa hinged door for closing said opening, the door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity, means whereby the door maybe forced to and supported in closed position, said means including a beam secured to the outer face of the door near a free edge thereof, a latch member pivotally connected to said door beam adjacent one of its ends, a shouldered bracket rigidly affixed to the car body adjacent a side of the door and adjacent an end of the said door beam when the door is in closedposition, said bracket being provided with a shoulder adapted to supportlngly co-c operate with the said pivoted latch to hold the door in closed position, and a fulcrum eye formed in said bracket adjacent the shoulder thereof, said fulcrum eye being located and arranged to form a fulcrum for a removable prying lever adapted to be inserted therein in a manner whereby the lever may be caused to bear uponthe adjacent end of said door beam to forcibly move the door'to a position enabling the pivot ed latch to engage with the shoulder of said bracket.

31. In a door mechanism for railway cars, the combination with a car body having a ladin discharge opening, of. a hinged door for c osing said opening, said door being m'ovable to open position under the influence of gravity, and means whereby the door niay be forced to and supported in closed position, said means including a beam secured to the door near a' free edge thereof, latch members respectively pivoted to said door beam adjacent its opposite ends, brackets rigidly aflixed scribed, the combination with to the car body and respectively disposed on opposite sides of the door opening and adjacent opposite ends of the door beam when the door is in closed position, each of said brackets being provided with a shoulder adapted to support-ingly cooperate with its associated latch to hold the door in closed position, and a fulcrum eye formed in each of said brackets adjacent the shoulder thereof, each of said fulcrum eyes being adapted to receive a removable prying lever in a manner whereby the latter member is caused to react upon the adjacent end of the door beam to forcibly move the door to a position enabling the associated latch to engage with the shoulder of the corresponding bracket.

32. In a railway car having a lading discharge opening, the combination with a swingingly mounted car door for closing said opening, a bracket rigidly mounted on the car and projecting beyond an edge of the opening, a latch member movably mounted on said door, said bracket comprising a plate having the inner face of one end thereof formed to lie against and be secured to the car and having its opposite end formed with a series of shoulders adapted to respectively cooperate with said latch member to support the door in either partially closed or fully closed position, marginal flanges outstanding from said bracket and defining the said shoulders, and a prying eye formed in the plate portion of said bracket adjacent said shoulders and between the said marginal flanges, said eye being adapted to receive a prying lever for forcing the door from partially closed to fully closed position.

33. In a mechanism of the character dea swingingly mounted car door, of a bracket rigidly affixed to the car and projecting beyond the edge of the opening of the car adapted to be closed by thedoor, a latch member pivotally connected to the door, the upper edge of the projecting portion of said bracket having a se ries of shoulders adapted to be engaged by said pivoted latch member to support the door in a plurality of positions of closure, and a prying eye formed in the projecting portion of said bracket, the axis of the eye being disposetl at an angle to the plane of the projecting portion of said bracket and being ocated beneath said shoulders, said eye being adapted to receive a prying lever for forcing the door from one position of closure to another.

34. A railway car having a lading discharge opening, the combination with a hinged door for closing said opening, of a latch pivotally connected to said door to swing in a plane parallel with that of the door, and a bracket carried by the car for cooperating with the latch to retain the door in closed position, said door being integrally formed with stiffening means extending at an an 1e to the hinge axis of the door and aflordlng a supporting abutment for the latch.

35. In a railway car having a lading discharge opening, the combination with a hinged door having a beam adjacent one of its free edges, the door being integrally fashioned with stifiening means extending at an angle to the hinge axis of the door, of a latch pivotally connected to the door inwardly of said stiffening means, the latter forming a supporting abutment for the outer end of the latch, the plane of operation of the latch being substantially parallel with the planeiof the door and means carried by the car for cooperating with the latch to retain the door in closed position.

36. In a railway ear having a lading dis charge opening, the combination with a door havin a beam adjacent the edge thereof remote 'rom its hinge axis, the door being integrally fashioned with rigidifying means adjacent the" outer end of said beam and extending at an angle thereto, of a latch pivotally mounted onthe door inwardly of the outer end of the beam, the plane of operation of the latch being substantially parallel with the plane of the door, and means carried on the car for cooperating with the latch to retain the door in closed position, the door stiffening means affording a supporting abutment for the latch when the latter is in engagement with said last named means;

37 In a railway car, the combination with a dumping door, of a locking latch pivotally mounted on the door to swing in a lane sub stantially parallel therewith, said atch projecting beyond an edge of the door, said door being integrally formed with reinforcing means adapted to maintain the latch in spaced relation to the door, said reinforcing means extending at an angle to the latch, and means on the car structure for engaging the. rojecting end of the latch to support the cor in closed position.

charge opening, the combination with a door for closing said opening, of a beam secured to the door adjacent one of its free edges and having a portion outstanding therefrom, ,a shouldered bracket carried by t ie car body, means pivotally mounted upon the door for cooperating with the bracket to support the door in closed position, a rotatable cam engageable with the said means for preventing pivotal movement thereof, and a member having a plurality of flanges for connecting said cam to the door beam, one of said flanges being overlappingly secured to the outwardly projecting portion of the beam and the other projecting upwardly therefrom in spaced relation to the door.

In'testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

BYERS KADEL.

38. In a railway car having a lading dis- 1 charge opening, the combination with a hinged door for closing saidopening, of a flanged beam rigidly connected to said door having a portion projecting outwardly from g the latter. substantially normal thereto,

mechanism for supporting the door in closed position involving a pivoted latch mounted on the door, a 'fixed shoulder membercarried by the car body for cooperating with the latch,anda cam for locking said latch in door supporting position, andmeans for pivotally connecting said latch and cam'to the beam, said means including a plurality of plate-like members disposed on opposite sides of the cam and latch, both of said platelike members being spaced outwardly from the door.

39. In a railway car having a lading dis- 

